[Nickshu]

I lived 2+ years in Sardinia, absolutely beautiful place but it's definitely not the typical US tourist in Italy experience. IMO the north Gallura region of Sardinia is much more fun to visit than the south end around Cagliari (most people only go to the south b/c cruise ships often stop in Caligari)

Sicily is very similar to Sardinia, a bit less rustic.

If you are into mountains the Northeast Dolomites area is nice, recommend staying in Cortina d' Ampezzo. Aosta valley is also very nice and offers easy access to France and Switzerland. Both are ski areas in the winter and outdoor playgrounds in the summer, so mud season (spring/fall) might be pretty dead, but also might be cheaper. The culture here is much more German/French/Austrian influenced but still has some laid back Italian. Food is great....In Cortina the big deal is red beet ravioli.

I agree that San Marino is very nice. Also if you can get to Montecasino its one of the most beautiful Churches I have ever seen, inlaid marble all over in various colors, really amazing craftsmanship and some neat WWII history around there.

IMO Venice is a craphole/tourist wasteland, but if you have to check the Venice box then you need to stop by. I have only passed thru Parma/Bologna...I know a lot of Pottery Barn type stuff is made in that area and you can buy the same stuff for cheap if you want to ship or haul it back.

The best time if year to visit Italy IMO is mid Sept to mid Oct. If you are going south try to get there more into October. Avoid August as its National vacation month and often a lot of stuff is closed, especially in the inland regions as the Italians flock to the beaches for vacanza.

Check out agriturismos. They are farms converted to basically B&Bs (most feature full course Italian dinners). The get $$ from the Italian government for keeping something like 80% of what they make and serve actually grown on the premises. They are all over Italy.

I love to tell people something I learned when living there....Italians are perplexed why Americans love Tuscany so much. Tuscany to them is like Italian Kansas or Italian Nebraska. To them it's like taking your honeymoon in Topeka. LOL!!

If you make it to Sardinia it's worth heading over to Corsica as well. Again not the typical US tourist in Italy/France experience but very beautiful especially the white cliffs on the south of Corsica near Bonifacio. Also make sure to get some Mirto, a liqueur that is only made and sold in Sardinia, also Zuppa Di Sardinia...a dish that I have been unable to reproduce at home despite many attempts. So delicious. Also famous local wine called Cannoneau di Sardinia. The Spaniards copied it by taking the grapes to Spain to make Grenache, but Cannoneau is better and tough to find in the USA.